10 Tips for Pitching, Media on Twitter

Thanks to Twitter and Facebook, getting in front of an interacting with media has become easier than before, the problem is this: Is the person running the Twitter account actually a journalist who will do something with your pitch?  Probably not.  That's why I've come up with some tips for Twitter, specifically:

1. Follow the journalist, not the publication or outlet: Most journalists have their own social media accounts giving you a better shot at getting your message directly in front of them.

2. Be sure that the person you are sending a message to is the correct person to receive it:  This is important!  Like anything it's important to know your audience.  You don't want to pitch a theater writer a business story, so do your homework and make sure that you are contacting the correct person and the right media outlet.  Once you find that person interact with them on their content without pushing your agenda.  They will be more likely to pay attention.

3.  Hit industry trades first: A great way to get some quick wins and to establish yourself within your industry is to connect with trade publications specific to your industry, audience and your customer-base.  If you have a consumer product, make that your second tier approach.  Once you can show some industry interest (post it on your online press room), then you can prove a track record of interest, but remember, your pitch to the industry and to the consumer are two different messages.

4. Post your press release online: On Twitter, in particular, you have limited space to say what you want to say, so post your pitch with a link to your online press room or to the place you have posted it to online (i.e. a variety of free or paid online press release distributions).

5. Have a story: I had a blog that I continue to receive pitches from PR people for.  I hate to say it, but most of them are terrible.  There's no news and it's not relevant to my blog (again, know your audience).  They immediately go in the trash and I can't imagine anyone is actually picking up these stories.  They just are newsworthy, timely or compelling.  Why is your news so compelling?  What does it mean? and define the Why!

6. Think in headlines:  Headlines are around us everywhere, every day.  Good PR people are always thinking in headlines.  Keep your pitch short and sweet; a tease.  You have one chance to get it right.  If you can't get out what you want to say in less than 140 characters, and with a link to your press release, go back over it until you can create that impactful headline that will catch their attention.  For ideas, pick up the newspaper or a magazine and flip through just the headlines.  Does something catch your attention?  Why?

Examples:

• New product gives elderly, those with disabilities, dexterity issues dignity again bit.ly/TcEJMV #seniors #disabilities
• Finally, a ""typical" retail exp for parents of kids w #developmentaldisorders: #TheSensoryKidsStore @BellybumMom http://www.bellybumboutique.com/press-releases.html
• What student athletes can learn from Lance Armstrong, A-Rod.  Expert, author gives real-life tips http://becomingatruechampion.com/PressRoom.htm
• Contract worker #'s to reach all-time high in 2013. New site makes it easy for #contractors/employers to connect http://www.vouchedin.com/index/news

7. Be breezy and social: When posting directly to a journalist you might want to add a "please look at this", "thought you might like this" or "thanks for checking this out". 

8. Give them a shout out: If a journalist does pick up your story and runs it then be sure to give them a warm shout out on Twitter and a big thanks!  Everyone appreciates a warm and fuzzy for others to see.

9. Don't SPAM media over social media: This one sure way to NEVER get action on your story. Be thoughtful, respectful and considerate.  Send something to them once a week for a few weeks and trust that they will contact you if interested.  If they don't it means that you haven't met the list of things above.  Give it a rest, then a tweak and try again.

10. Free services: There are a few great free services and Tweeps you should follow to increase your reach;

• #MyStorySource - you can follow @MyStorySource and post your story pitch to the hashtag.  Great way to practice and refine your headline creation and pitching skills. You can post three times a day every day.  A number of top media follow the feed including USA Today, Newsweek, Ny Times, US News Money, WGN-TV, ChannelOne, Forbes, Crain's Chicago and San Antonio Express-News, along with many freelance writers and bloggers.  
• @HelpAReporter and @ProfNet on Twitter often post queries from media looking for sources.  Worth signing up for their email newsletters.

12 Tips for DIY PR

The DIY craze has been around for years.  Thanks to the cable television, the Internet and the whole "information at your finger tips" you can learn to do most anything from changing your oil to renovating your bathroom. Personally, I love it.  Taking on a task normally I would pay for feels like so much of a personal accomplishment, however, my cobbler and plumber will always get my business.

In recent years, the DIY movement has become even more prevalent due to the economy.  This means that small businesses are taking on even more tasks on top of running their business just to save money, but are aware that they must keep moving forward. So, you're letting your "fingers do the typing" in order to learn and accomplish.

When a business wants to take on DIY PR it is REALLY important that they don’t overwhelm themselves.  Sure, there are a number of media you want to be in but I teach, in my workshops and classes, the following to busy entrepreneurs who have a lot on their plates already:

1. Differentiation: The first step before any marketing should be implemented is to truly differentiate yourself from competition and within the industry.  How can you be different and stand out?  If you're the same as the next, chances are good you will get overlooked.
2. Stay focused on your primary audience: If you want retailers/distributors go to the industry trades, if you want consumers sort out those that specifically target your audience (you have to be realistic here).
3. Follow media: If you want to be in a certain publication, know that publication or blog.  Read it, follow it and locate the right person to speak to.  You have to know who you’re pitching.  A sports writer isn’t going to do a pet product feature.  You have to make sure you have the right contact, know what they right on and more importantly that the publication/blog even covers your industry.
4. Make your story timely: This is important.  Don’t tell media about your product/service, tell them the WHY of how you started your business.  The “WH’s” are important.  What problem does it solve and back it up with facts/statistics, and if at all possible, tie it in with a broader trend story happening in the US or the industry 
5. Include visuals with a short introductory pitch:  Start your email with a concise and short pitch – a paragraph or two short ones at most – and you can include your press release below it with a visual.  If you have a product, a picture, if you have a short video, that’s great too.  NEVER send attachments.  Always copy and paste with low res graphics.  If they want more, they’ll ask for it.  Sometimes seeing the product can make all the difference in understanding what it is.
6. Offer a free trial:  If you have an online service, give media the opportunity to test it for themselves so they can write a review from their own experience, or send a sample in the mail with a press kit on CD.  But….don’t put yourself in a position of giving away too much product.
7. Set up an online press room:  This is one of the BEST things you can do.  With so many media, and freelancers, out surfing the web for story ideas, you want to give them everything they need to write a story or include your company.  Make sure you have your press release, company backgrounder, product fact sheets, tip sheets (if possible for expert positioning) and approved, high res graphics all of which can be easily downloaded from your site.  Most importantly, make sure your contact information is on the press release and the online press room so they know who to contact should they want an interview or have trouble downloading information.
8. Do PR in phases:  Make a list of all of the media you’d like to be in.  Take the top 25 you want the most and go after those first.  Then the next 25 and so on.  This really reduces the stress and feeling of being overwhelmed by so many opportunities.  Some companies could have a list of 200 or more!
9. Follow up is KEY!  Just because you send a press release out doesn’t mean media/bloggers are going to drop everything to do your story right then and there.  They have their own things to work on.  You have to practice the delicate art of following up (not stalking).  This means following up once a week until you’ve done so two-three times after initially pitching them.  Then move on.  You can always pick up that list and follow up again in 30 days or so.  And don’t be afraid to pick up the phone and call, although most media prefer an initial email pitch first.
10. Always make time to respond to media: If someone calls for an interview or shows interest, do to you need to respond to them right away and insure you get them what they need.  Often times media run on tight deadlines and that could mean a phone interview within the hour.  Make yourself available, otherwise, they will find someone else who will.
11. Say thank you: One of the best things you can do to build a relationship with a journalist or blogger is to thank them for their review/story or opportunity to be interviewed.  It goes a long way.
12. Spread that love on social media:  You were included in a story in Entrepreneur?  Be sure to Tweet and @ them with a big thanks.  It helps both of you build reputation and further a relationship.

Want to Attract Media Attention? Define the Why.

There are a number of ways a business can attract the attention of media.  Some good, some bad, some really bad.  For those seeking media to help launch a product or company, it is really all about your story.

For example, in one of my workshops was the Founder of AutoTray.  It's a simple idea - a nonslip tray you can use in the car for those on the road quick meals.  As part of my workshop I invite attendees to send me their press release for review, and hers was not unlike many I have seen before.  It was all about the product.  It read like an informational product fact sheet.  Boring and dry.  It would ultimately be thrown in the trash by media with one swift click.  What it needed was a story - the reason why?  Why did she develop the product and how will it affect people's lives.  She has "the solution" but what problem is it solving?

After a bit of research I came up with some meat for her story.  It turns out that 85% of car accidents are caused by eating and drinking in the car (although today that might also include talking on a cell phone).  In fact, just the other day I saw a gal with her cell phone in one hand, the other holding a sandwich while also trying to grip the wheel.  She nearly caused several accidents on her own.  So, we're all too familiar with the dangers of multi-tasking behind the wheel.  All of a sudden, this story has legs.

Media love facts; numbers.  Numbers and facts are compelling.  Watch the news, read the news and you'll understand what I am saying. The numbers tell a story all on their own.  The numbers are the problem, your product is the solution.  This fact is pretty compelling and relates perfectly into why she started her business.  She might not have thought about it at the time of creation, but it's powerful and will catch media attention for her simple, yet smart, product. 

Sometimes finding your story means you have to look at it with a broader perspective.  The story may not always be a feature just on your business.  It might be an inclusion in a bigger national trend.  The WHY is so key to WHY media will or will not find your story interesting.  Why is it different?  Why did you start your business? Why will it change the world?  Why will it make a difference in people's lives?  Why should they buy it, or you? 

Like Why, the other "Wh's" can be important to your story.

• Where - your local media focuses on local stories.  Always start with your hometown media with a great local angle.
• Who - tell the story behind why you started your business or developed the product idea
• What - true you don't want the press release/story to be all product focused, but you do need to describe it, give some product facts and always insert a graphic.  Media need to see it to get it.
• When - particularly key if your trying to get attention for an event, but media like to know when the company launched, or will launch.  For media, it's about timeliness. 
• How - not a "wh" but includes "wh".  How is important for How does it work? How will it make a difference in people's lives? How will it change the world?

These are good questions to ask and answer before writing a press release and sending it out to media. Conducting a PR campaign is time consuming and sometimes you get one shot.  Do it right the first time and you will uncover your newsworthy story easily.

Public relations is not an advertising sales pitch.  It's not all about product specs.  It's a story.  It's a story idea that you are giving media in hopes that they will write something and indirectly endorse your product.  It's news and to generate news you have to tell the WHY, because I guarantee you that's the question they are asking in their newsrooms or meetings with editors before they say yes to a story.

12 Great ways to encourage engagement on Social Media

The number one rule of social media success is engagement.  You can have a huge list of connections but if you aren’t engaging in conversation with them the effort is wasted.  The key to making your social media efforts work is to build relationships with people … there’s more to it then just being social … you need to be engaging with your target market and building meaningful relationships of trust.  In today’s market “Trust” builds businesses and creating an effective social media strategy using engagement with your customers and clients is the first step!

Here are 12 great ways to encourage your Fans and Followers to respond and engage with your posts.  Use these ideas to start the conversation and start building relationships that will grow your business!

Click here to read more

SpikeTV and SCORE Offer New Resource for Food Entrepreneurs

SpikeTV -- which just launched its Sunday night series "Bar Rescue" -- and SCORE the non-profit small business mentoring association, have customized a toolkit called "Serve Up Success" available free of charge at http://www.score.org/restaurants/spike-tv-serve-up-success in order to help aspiring entrepreneurs and struggling businesses find success despite this challenging economic climate. The toolkit is particularly timely as unemployment figures continue to rise. The goal: to help entrepreneurs succeed in the food service industry! Whether you're deciding if opening your own bar or restaurant is right for you or if you're a food service veteran, use this great toolkit filled with SCORE resources to help you succeed.

Worth reading: "Bar Rescue: and food industry expert Jon Taffer's interview on his mission to help fix struggling bars and small business owners get back on their feet.

Note: Some good overall advice for all small business owners whether you're in food or not!

Check it out!

Lessons Learned from ABC's "Shark Tank" - Letting Go

There have been a number of shows over the years that give a select few small business and start ups great PR and advice. There was Donny Deutsch and now ABC's "Shark Tank", a show that gives a variety of small businesses and start ups the chance to pitch their business to top investors.

"Shark Tank" does give many of the businesses tremendous exposure and PR value they wouldn't get otherwise. Sometimes I think that producers are picking the most random products and businesses of the bunch for TV value, but a majority of them do have legs. However, there are a number of business owners who make some serious mistakes in pitching, negotiating and positioning their businesses for success. Here are some things you should all learn from this show:

• Decide what you want - Do you want to be a wealthy entrepreneur who can sell existing businesses and start new ones? Or, do you want to be attached to "your baby". They say that the best way to become wealthy in this country is to become an entrepreneur, but if you baby your baby your judgement could become clouded. You should always be looking to the next thing to either grow your existing business and become a Fortune 1000 some day, or sell it and reap the rewards of your efforts, and investment.

• Be prepared - know your numbers. Trust me, I haven't worked with a small business yet that didn't know their numbers - the market, what share they want to aspire to own, their competitors, what kind of investment you need and why! There's nothing more annoying than small businesses who don't know their numbers. How do you know where you will go if you don't know where you've been and even where your competition is? It's about the facts, not what you hope you will sell and make one day. Remember this: there is energy around money. The second you start planning for something you don't have you will never ever see it. NEVER. So stop and get real!
  

• Start selling - There's no way that you can approach an investor without any previous results (aka sales). How can they determine the public reception and perception of your product and brand if you don't have any sales. Maybe it was easier to sell an idea without any real sales before the recession, but there's no way it will happen now, unless the idea is so fabulous that you sell licensing rights and move on to your next idea. Honestly, that's pretty rare. You have to show action and activity to today's investors. This goes back to knowing your numbers. You have to have numbers in order to get numbers on a check. If no one is buying or interested in your product then you know one thing...it's time to let go for good.
  

• Investors care about money - Sad, but true, and they should, for good reason. Think about it from their perspective: investors aren't just giving you free money to do with what you want. They'd be better off putting that wad of cash down the toilet. Much like your retirement fund, they are investing in you and your business and investments mean a return. You want a return on your investments, right? In most cases, investors become your partner leading you to success through their knowledge and Rolodex. And, they want to control their money; make sure it's being used wisely to ensure a high return on their investment.
  

• Don't overlook the security of royalty fees - Wow, I've seen some people blow really good opportunities on "Shark Tank". I mean REALLY good. Listen, I know you started your business, but it's all too easy to identify yourself with the business instead of identifying yourself with what you want most - wealth, security. That is the reason you started the business, right? You had an idea that put dollar signs in your eyes? Sure you want to be known as the owner of a successful business (everyone wants their 15 minutes of fame), but what if someone could take your business to new heights without you, or at least by giving you a lesser role in the company? What if you could sit back and make money without trying? Isn't that everyone's secret desire? Consider royalties when approaching investors about your business. It could be a real opportunity for you to retire early, sit on the beach or golf everyday. Again, it's business....but I think lying on the beach is personal and if a business state of mind gets me there, I'm all in. Let those checks come in the mail!

• Licensing can be your way to wealth as an entrepreneur - Another thing to consider is your ability to license your invention/creation, trademark, patents to a major manufacturer who can mass produce and sell your product, in conjunction with theirs, for you. Especially, if you don't have the funds to produce and distribute on your own. In most cases your best bet to achieving wealth and financial security for you and your family may not be working the business, but letting someone else work it for you. Let go and cash those royalty checks.
  

• Learn to let go - The rich become rich by selling their businesses. We entrepreneurs go into business for ourselves because we want to love what we do and make loads of cash doing it, but I can tell you first hand that when you hold on too tightly your business won't grow. Sure all the investors on this show probably started off the same, but their intention was one thing - to make money! And, when they saw the opportunities to sell their business and move on to something new and fresh, they did it and guess what? They're multi-millionaires because of it. Entrepreneurs have to love what they do (mostly because we work so many hours you have to like it and believe in it), but you also have to know when to let go. The simple exercise of "letting go" of your business, of saying "I'll be fine if I don't make this happen" or "It's not the end of the world if I quit this business" is a key one. Let go of your pride and ego and focus on what really matters - achieving your dream as a wealthy, successful entrepreneur, caring for your family and living the lifestyle you dream of.

I will actually tell you a personal story related to this. When I started my PR agency, I was an idealist, like most entrepreneurs. I was thrilled to be able to choose the clients I want to work with over being told who I have to work with - some who put butterflies in my stomach at the site of an email or the sound of their voice. At one point I became very frustrated that my company wasn't growing at the pace I wanted it to and everything seemed to become more desperate. Desperate enough for me to decide that I could walk away and go work for someone else, again. I felt so free! Within days everything changed. Everything. My company began growing within a week and my entire outlook as a business owner has changed, for the best, and I am now celebrating 10 years in business (no small feat seeing as most small business crash after one year). Call it the universe, energy, God, what have you, but there's real power in letting go. If you don't prune a tree how can it grow tall and beautiful?

• It's not personal, it's business - I've said for years that this phrase doesn't seem to mean much to entrepreneurs because it is personal to them. You are the ones developing incredible ideas and products everyday. You are the ones putting your heart, soul and entire savings account (even second mortgages) into your project. You are the ones with the faith that your idea will take off and make you a successful entrepreneur. But....when it comes to finding an investor, it is business. Sure, your passion and belief may help persuade them to invest, but at the end of the day it's all about business. So, don't get your feathers ruffled if you feel you're being insulted. It's business and business decisions are tough to make on any level. Take your personal investment out of it and change your thinking towards a business perspective. It just might change the outcome of your business altogether and goals for achieving wealth.
  

One great (or terrible) example was a fairly annoying guy with a great company, great brand and great product. The sharks told him they wanted to buy his company, give him a lifetime royalty but they would fire him. Pride and ego took over, he was stunned and hurt, because it's personal to him. He couldn't believe that they would fire him after all the work he did to create and build the business, but he was such a terrible front man that they had no choice. It was business and the sharks had dollar signs in their eyes for this company. The guy had to go. In the end he simply could not relinquish his baby to the sharks to become a royalty check recipient for life. There's no doubt in my mind that the sharks would have built it into a billion dollar business. Yes, I said billion. That is one fat royalty check!

Businessweek Seeks America's Best Young Entrepreneurs

Bloomberg Businessweek is seeking your suggestions for America’s best young entrepreneurs roundup for 2011. For the seventh year, we’re asking readers to scour the startup world for the most promising companies run by entrepreneurs 25 or younger. Suggest companies for us to look into using the form below through July 31. Then our reporters and editors will choose 25 to profile, and ask readers to vote for the ones they think hold the most promise. We’ll announce the five companies that got the most votes in the fall.

To qualify, companies must:

1) be based in the United States.

2) have no co-founders older than 25 on July 31, 2011. (That means if any one of a company’s founders was born before July 31, 1985, the company doesn’t qualify.)

3) disclose revenue for 2010 and projected revenue for 2011 (we won’t consider companies without this).

Suggest companies using the form below through July 31, and watch for our roundup in the fall.

Click here for more information.

Six Things Entrepreneurs Know That Are Dead Wrong

A great article from the Forbes blog. It may just change your the way you, as an entrepreneur, think about your business.

Things Entrepreneurs Know That Are Dead Wrong
Martin Zwilling, Startup Professional's Musings
June 26, 2011

All true entrepreneurs operate off a set of tenets that are built into their psyche, or drilled into them from training and mentors. These are represented by sayings like “You never get anywhere unless you take a chance” and “Passion and persistence are the keys to success,” Unfortunately, there are still other old, reliable tenets that don’t work anymore.

In a new book by Jeanne Liedtka and Tim Ogilvie from the Columbia Business School, “Designing for Growth,” the authors encourage managers to think more like designers. I assert that designers have a lot in common with entrepreneurs, since both must innovate and start a deep understanding of what their customer really wants (“customer-centered”).

In most other respects, design thinking is the opposite of business thinking. For example, businesses must deal with reality as fixed and quantifiable, whereas design deals with subjective experience and a social constructs. Entrepreneurs need to bridge both these worlds, and the authors outline key business management myths that usually limit startup thinking:

1. Myth: Think big. There are always pressures to be sure an opportunity is big enough, but most really big solutions began small and built momentum. To seize really new opportunities, it is better to start small and find a deep, underlying human need to connect with. A better maxim for entrepreneurs is: Focus on meeting genuine human needs.

Read more....